[NAGDU] Guide dog school videos

Wed Apr 15 18:28:02 UTC 2020

I copied and pasted the links to the two videos sent out by GDF so
far, along with the written descriptions of the behaviors. Hopefully
the links actually copied.

video 1: give kiss
https://youtu.be/uGRgqtLB-y4.

This is a simple, yet fun, trick that you can teach your dog very
quickly! This approach on how to teach your dog to “give kiss”
utilizes tactile techniques
so almost anyone can teach it. It requires very few supplies and will
result in a fun behavior that everybody will enjoy watching.

Supplies you will need:

Treat pouch or Ziploc bag

Kibble

Clicker (optional)

A verbal marker “yes!” can be used interchangeably with the clicker.
Just keep your tone of voice consistent and the timing the same! (In
the video, Anna
is using a clicker. If you choose to use a verbal marker, it would be
said at the same time you hear the click.)

A sticky note or small piece of paper with tape

Steps:

First, we will teach our dog to target the sticky note with their
nose. In the video, I am using a 2x2 inch piece of cardboard that is a
little bit smaller
than my palm. Place the sticky note on the palm of your open hand.

Present your hand with the sticky note target close to your dog’s
face. The moment you feel your dog’s nose touch your palm, mark the
behavior with a click
or verbal cue, such as “yes!” to the dog. Reward the dog with a piece of kibble.

Repeat this step to your dog until you get quick and clean responses!
Once your dog is immediately touching the sticky note target on your
palm after being
rewarded with kibble, you are ready to move on to the next step.

With the sticky note still on your palm, place the back of your hand
to your cheek (or wherever you’d like to teach your dog to give you a
kiss). You will
probably have to sit on the floor so that your cheek is level with the
dog’s head. Again, when the dog touches the sticky note with their
nose, mark the
behavior with a click or verbal “yes!” Reward the dog with a piece of
kibble. Continue until you get quick and clean responses.

Now is the first sneaky part, slyly take the sticky note off your palm
and stick it on your cheek. I like to do this when my dog is busy
chewing a piece
of kibble. Face your cheek toward your dog’s face.

When the dog touches the sticky note on your cheek with their nose,
mark the behavior with a click or verbal cue “yes!” Reward the dog
with a piece of
kibble. As you progress, you will be able to sit more naturally and
still have the dog touch the target.

Repeat this step until the dog, again, is quickly and cleanly offering
the behavior. When you have achieved this, you can begin adding a
verbal cue, such
as “give kiss!” the moment before the dog begins the behavior, that
is, after the click and food reward are delivered.

Once the dog appears to have an understanding of targeting the sticky
note on your cheek with the verbal cue, you can take the sticky note
away. Continue
to give the verbal “give kiss!” while presenting your cheek and
rewarding when your dog follows through. You’ve now taught your dog to
give you a kiss
on the cheek!

Please remember that training a new trick to your dog takes patience!
Do not expect your dog to learn the full trick after just one session
as it appears
in the video. Take your time getting clean results for each step
before moving on to the next one. Also remember, if you ended on step
3 after finishing
one session, you will most likely have to begin at step 2 or even 1
the next time you practice. Have patience and enjoy watching your dog
think!

video 2
Video on using a scratch board:
Cameron’s video

Supplemental video including audio descriptions of behaviors:
Lauren’s video

What is a Scratchboard?

A scratchboard is a tool that allows your dog to file their own nails
under your guidance. Not all dogs love having their feet handled, and
it can become
a negative experience they try to avoid. A solution to that is
teaching them how to file their own nails through natural behaviors,
such as digging. A
scratchboard is the same idea as a nail file for a human. It is a
solid board covered in fine-medium coarse sandpaper, which, when
elevated, allows the
dog to scratch and slowly grind down the edges of their nails. This is
something you may want to do once every one to two weeks. A few swipes
at the board
is enough to file your dog’s nails. You can either purchase a pre-made
scratchboard or you can make one at home with a few simple materials.

Where to purchase:
www.scratchpadfordogs.com

How to make your own: Here is a link to a DIY website with
instructions and videos
https://www.dogtrainingnation.com/how-to-train-a-dog/building-a-dog-nail-scratchboard/

You must teach your dog how to use a scratchboard. Most dogs can learn
the basics of scratching the board in a few short sessions, but not
all dogs are
the same. Below are some guidelines for you to use. If you have any
questions, feel free to reach out to our instructors for assistance!

How to make it a paws-itive experience

list of 6 items
•
Gather up your marker pouch full of kibble and your clicker!
list of 1 items nesting level 1
◦
You can also use your marker word in place of a click.
list end nesting level 1
•
Keep sessions short! Three to five minutes is plenty and will leave
your dog wanting more.
•
When teaching this behavior, use a smooth board, like a cutting board,
so that you don’t have to worry about your dog filing their nails down
too far during
the learning process.
•
Even after your dog has a good understanding of the behavior, continue
to keep sessions short so that your dog doesn’t wear their nails down
too far and
cause the nails to bleed.
•
When you begin shaping this new behavior, your pup might throw out
some incorrect guesses like targeting it with their nose. Don't worry
about it! You
can ignore the incorrect behaviors or reset your pup by gently pushing
them back.
•
Raise your expectations slowly enough so that your dog is successful
the majority of the time. If there is a pause of five seconds or more
between clicks,
you can return to the step at which your dog was previously
successful. Next, find a criteria that's easier for your dog to meet –
for example, raise the
board only half as far as you did before.
list end

Training – Step by Step

list of 14 items
1.
Find somewhere comfortable to sit where you can hold the scratch board
at various angles, starting with it flat on the ground
2.
Have your clicker/marker word ready to fire and lay the scratch board
on the ground. You may need to hold it steady with one or both hands.
Some clients
may find it helpful to place the short end of the board on their toes
so that they can have tactile feedback from the pressure of the dog’s
paw on the
board in addition to the auditory feedback.
3.
Encourage your dog to walk over and investigate the scratch board.
Focus on their front feet only right now. If one paw touches the
board, even just a
little, click/mark then use the food reward to lure your dog about one
foot away from the board.
4.
Continue to encourage your dog to step on the board, clicking/marking
each time their paw makes contact. Remain at this step until your pup
is stepping
on the board with purpose and immediately returning to that behavior
after the click/mark.
5.
Next, lift the short end of the board about one inch off the ground.
You can use a book or your knees to prop it up so your fingers don’t
get pinched when
your dog steps on the board.
6.
If your dog had a good understanding of steps 3 and 4, they should
quickly offer to step on the board again. When one paw steps on the
board, click/mark
then use the food reward to lure your dog about one foot away from the board.
7.
Repeat this for at least five reps, only moving on if your dog
immediately returns to stepping on the board after eating their
kibble. If your dog seems
confused at step 6, you can return to verbal encouragement or point at
the board to get your pup to step on the board.
8.
Continue to lift the short end of the board farther off the ground a
few inches at a time, making the angle of the board steeper. At each
level, you want
to make sure that your pup is readily offering the behavior before
moving onto a steeper angle presentation.
9.
If at any point your dog loses confidence and stops offering the
behavior immediately after eating their food reward, you can lower the
board back to the
spot where they were last successful. When you feel that they are
ready to move on, change the angle only about half as much as before.
10.
Once the board reaches about 45 degrees to the ground, your dog will
be more likely to scratch rather than firmly step on the board. Don’t
get excited
and move too quickly by raising the board once you get here, though!
As the angle gets steeper, your dog may need a bit more time to
understand your new
expectations, which is to scratch the board.
11.
Your final goal is to have your board close to perpendicular to the
ground so that your dog is evenly filing their entire nail.
12.
If you find that your dog has a strong preference for only scratching
with one foot, return to the beginning of these steps. Only click/mark
your pup for
stepping, then scratching with their opposite paw for a session or
two. You will withhold your click if they use their dominant paw.
After one or two sessions
of selecting for the less dominant paw, you can return
clicking/marking for both feet.
13.
Once your dog shows a strong understanding of scratching the board
with both feet, you can begin to click/mark after a varying number of
scratches. Sometimes
mark after two scratches, other times wait for five scratches, etc.
14.
Now that your dog has a foundation for scratching the board evenly
with both paws, you can introduce the scratch board with sandpaper
glued or taped on.
You may need to briefly return to holding the board at an incline for
a couple repetitions until your dog understands that they can also
scratch the new
board.
list end

Things to keep in mind

list of 4 items
•
Have fun! This is a tool to make your dog more comfortable. Keep your
sessions short and exciting.
•
Medium coarseness is preferred as it is an all-purpose grit and easier
for a dog to learn on. This grade of sandpaper is less likely to
irritate your dog’s
paw pads as they are learning or to overfile its nails to the quick.
•
If your dog is having a difficult time learning how to use the board
you can always use a higher value treat compared to their normal dog
food (Pup-Peroni®
or jerky treats). Also, take baby steps! There is no need to rush this process.
•
This can be used for a dog’s back paws but we find that most of our
dog’s hind paw nails are naturally filed on day-to-day tasks. You can
contact us for
advice if you want an extra challenge for you and your dog.
list end

On 4/15/20, Jenine Stanley via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
>
> I’m currently without a dog. My Roger retired March 1 and is living with his
> puppy raiser. We still have my husband’s dog, Linus, though.
>
> I know that several of the guide dog schools put out videos for their grads
> with fun things to do while there is limited access to working your dog. Can
> anyone here post links to such videos?
>
> Granted, Linus is 9.5 bout he’s just as bored as we are.
>
> Thanks.
>
>
>
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